"Really? Another Aeon in the Calm Lands?" Rikku asked.

"He said 'up high in the Calm Lands'." Tidus corrected.

"Hmm..." Wakka scratched the back of his neck. "Maybe...it's on a cliff or something?"

"Well we won't find out unless we backtrack." Auron said, leaving the antechamber.

"No really?" Rikku grinned, following Auron.

The group followed Auron out of the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth and to the Calm Lands. There they split into groups and started searching the Calm Lands. Rikku sat upon Kimahri's shoulders as she looked around the Calm Lands.

"Y'think it was a good idea to leave Wakka and Tidus alone together? They'll probably go off and have sex or something." Rikku teased.

Kimahri's upper lip twitched and Lulu laughed.

*****************

Tidus shielded his eyes from the sun as he looked up at the high cliffs that surrounded 3/4 of the Calm Lands.

"That's where we came in, ya?" Wakka asked, pointing. Tidus nodded. "Then what's that?"

Tidus squinted against the sun's glare. "Looks like...a rope or something."

"Let's go check it out."

The summoner nodded and took a hold of Wakka's hand. The couple walked up the footpath to examine what Wakka had seen.

"It looks like the burnt ruins of...something..." Tidus said.

"Look. Over there!"

Tidus looked over to see the top of another cliff. It wasn't accessible from the ground, but there were burnt remnants laying on the grass.

"It used to be a bridge." Wakka murmured.

Tidus nodded. "Yeah...this has to be what Wakiza was talking about. C'mon. Let's get the others. We have to figure out a way to get over there."

-------------------------

"Jump?" Rikku suggested.

"And drop like a stone to your death." Auron replied.

Rikku made a face at Auron. "Must you be so blunt?"

"Yes." Rin answered, doing his best Auron impression.

Everyone, except Auron laughed. Auron half-glared, half-smirked at the Al Bhed.

"Tie rope to Kimahri's spear. Kimahri throw spear. Climb over." The Ronso suggested.

"That would work...except there's nothing to secure the other end over here." Lulu said.

"Kimahri hold rope. Kimahri stay here."

Tidus nodded. Kimahri tied his rope tightly to his spear then threw it. It crunched into the ground on the other cliffside. The Ronso pulled on it, it didn't budge.

"Heaviest go first." The feline said.

"That's probably me." Wakka sighed.

"Fat ass..." Rikku teased.

Wakka laughed and messed Rikku's hair slightly.

"Hang on tight in case the spear pulls out of the ground. Then Kimahri can pull you back." Rin said.

Tidus went a little white and he kissed Wakka on the cheek.

"Wait a minute!" Rikku called, making everyone jump. "How do we get back??"

"Shit..." Lulu grumbled. "Didn't think about that."

Tidus thought for a minute then nodded to himself. Stepping back, he summoned Shiva. He asked her something and the Aeon nodded. She turned to the cliffside and connected the two with an ice bridge.

"It's slippery and it'll probably melt while we're in the temple, but I can ask Shiva to make another one." Tidus grinned.

"Good idea. Good thinking." Auron complimented.

Tidus blushed at the compliment and nodded. Everyone slid across the ice bridge. The summoner thanked Shiva for her help and dismissed her. They all walked through a narrow canyon and emerged on the other side. Rin whistled. His whistle echoed a hundred times over.

"That...is a long way down..." Rikku said, shivering.

"And the only way across is a scrawny bridge swaying in the wind. Great." Lulu sighed.

"You all don't have to come with me." Tidus said. "Wait here if you wish."

"No way." Wakka replied, wrapping his arms around the blonde's waist. "I'm following you around like a lovesick puppy."

Tidus laughed.

"I'll go too, but I'll bitch the whole way." Rikku said.

"Ditto." Lulu added, smiling.

"Kimahri go."

"Hell. Why not. I need to confront my fear of heights." Rin coughed nervously.

"And I'll go just in case Rin needs me to carry him across the bridge." Auron teased.

"You'll have to get Lulu to zap his ass with Thunder spells. We have to go one at a time." The summoner replied. "I don't think this bridge will hold much weight."

Everyone nodded. One by one they made their way across the bridge (even Rin). The group gazed up in awe at the huge stone door with a phoenix carved into it. Tidus walked up the steps. He put his hands on the door and pushed. Three symbols on the entrace glowed one after the other and the door swung open. Tidus and his guardians slowly entered the temple. Magick torches lit the huge circular temple. The wooden shield that blocked the temple from the Chamber of the Fayth had fallen off but the entrance was overgrown with vines. Despite that there was no sunlight or water in the temple fireflowers bloomed on the vines.

"We'll wait here." Auron said.

Tidus nodded and carefully maneuvered his way through the vines. He entered the Chamber. A very beautiful female voice was singing the Prayer of the Fayth. Tidus sat in front of the Fayth's statue and began to pray. It didn't take long for a woman, who's beauty matched her voice, appeared. She seemed very surprised to see Tidus.

"I...haven't heard someone praying to me in over eight-hundred years..." She murmured.

"E-eight hundred years...?"

The woman nodded. "I was the second person to become a Fayth. The first being Zaon of course. I prayed to Yevon to become a Fayth so that my lover could join in the fight against Sin. Alas...he was killed and I was trapped here. Then...eight-hundred years ago vandals burned the bridge connected the east and west cliffsides. I was forgotten about..."

"Forgive me for asking...but what was Zanarkand like?"

The Fayth smiled ruefully. "Cold. Sterile. Metallic. Not the beautiful city the priests of Yevon made it out to be. True...it was an impressive city...but I always hated it."

The summoner took a second to admire the piercings on the woman's face before continuing.

"So...Sin first appeared one-thousand years ago?"

"Yes...but that is all I can tell you. How did you find me?"

"The Dragon Fayth, Wakiza, told me about you."

"Ah yes. After the last Dragon Fayth was accidentally sent by a foolish summoner I feared the powerful Dragon would never be summoned again. But ten or so years ago I felt another presence. I always wondered who he was but he never talked to me."

"Yeah. He's not the talkative type." Tidus grinned.

The Fayth laughed. "Tell me summoner...what is your name?"

"Tidus Spardas, ma'am. May I ask what yours is?"

"Alexia Phoenix."

"That's a pretty name."

"Thank-you."

"Which Fayth are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well the Cerberus brothers are the Triple Fayth, Ifrit is the Fire Fayth..."

Alexia interrupted Tidus with a nod. "I see what you mean. I am the Life Fayth or the Rebirth Fayth. I've been called both. I hope this visit means that you'll be summoning me."

"That's what I hoped, yes."

"Very well. I ask only one thing in return."

"Yes?"

"I wish to be called 'Phoenix' when summoned."

"All right. No problem at all." The summoner smiled.

"Thank-you." Alexia replied, turning transparent.

Tidus braced himself but again there was little pain before Alexia found a comfy place in his subconscious. The blonde smiled to himself and exited the Chamber. He was greeted by his guardians.

"Her name is Phoenix. She's the Life Fayth." Tidus said.

"Cool." Rikku grinned. "Well? Shall we continue on?"

Tidus nodded and the group left the temple. Shiva made another bridge for them and they crossed. Again Tidus thanked the female Aeon before dismissing her. They were halfway down the foot path when Tidus suddenly stopped. Everyone bumped into each other.

"What's the deal?" Rikku demanded.

"Shh!" Tidus hissed.

Everyone looked up to see a handful of Bevelle soldiers at the Trading Post.

"We have to head back into the woods. Hurry up." Auron ordered.

Everyone turned and started heading up the footpath. Wakka grabbed Tidus by the hand, putting the teen in front of him. They were at the edge of the woods when a voice called out.

"Stop right there!"

The group did the exact opposite. They ran off. The soldiers ordered them to stop once more before they started firing. Kimahri zoomed up a tree and the soldiers ran right past him. Lulu dropped to the ground and crawled into a dead log. The soldiers went right by her too. Another soldier joined the two. A fourth soldier emerged from the woods with Rikku in custody. And after a huge scuffle Auron and Rin were caught as well. Wakka and Tidus were running through the ice-covered woods side-by-side. A loud shot rang through the air and a bullet ripped through Wakka's body.

"Wakka!!!" Tidus cried.

The summoner fell to his knees beside the fallen redhead. The man wasn't moving.

"No!!"

Two soldiers burst through the brush and grabbed Tidus by his arms. They yanked him to his feet and started dragging him away. The summoner struggled for all he was worth.

"No! Wakka!! No! Let me go!! WAKKA!!!"

Tidus tried to cast Life but the soldiers had slapped anti-magick bracelets on his wrists. He could do nothing. He could do nothing but burst into tears. He could do nothing but watch his lover's body vanish into the brush as the soldiers dragged him off.

*****************

Lulu and Kimahri could hear Tidus from their hiding places. Lulu's whole body was shaking as she kept her sobs contained. Tears rolled down the woman's cheeks. Rage and sadness boiled inside of Kimahri.

******************

Rikku had gone silent when the shot and Tidus' screams had echoed through the woods. She stropped struggling and let the soldier lead her away.

*******************

Auron put up more of a struggle once his summoner's anguished cries reached his ears. The soldiers knocked him out using the blunt side of his own katana. This got Rin worked up and he managed to beat the crap out of one of the soldiers before he was knocked out too.

"If Father Zuke hadn't tipped us off they probably would've been to Gagazet by now." One soldier said.

"There's three guardians missing." Another one said.

A soldier emerged from the woods with a sobbing Tidus slung over his shoulder. "One of them is dead but there's still two alive out here. Form a search team and find them."

"Yessir!"

Eight of the grunts broke into fours and vanished into the trees. The soldier holding Tidus told the blonde to shut up before heading for Bevelle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*hiding behind his fruit/flame-proof shield* Yes. I'm afraid Wakka really is dead T_T. R&R Please ^^;;